Using A Travel Agent vs Booking Yourself: Which Is Better?

The travel industry has changed in the last decade, with booking travel online becoming easier than ever. Thanks to advances in technology and improvements to online booking systems, you may be wondering if there is any point in using a travel agent to book trips. Booking travel for yourself can still take time as you scour the web for the best possible deals on flights, car hire, airport transfers and hotels. Using a travel agency can take a lot of the effort and stress away from you. However, there are also some perks to taking matters into your own hands too. 

Using a travel agent

Travel agents and travel management companies effectively help travellers to book trips and put together itineraries that meet the client’s needs. Using a travel agent can be convenient, especially for larger corporate trips which require a lot of coordination and planning. Many corporates prefer to take the travel agent route as they often do not have the resources within their organisations to take the time to plan business trips. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits and drawbacks of using a travel agent. 

The benefits

Aside from increased convenience and time-saving, travel agents can offer customers some perks which are not necessarily accessible when you make online bookings yourself. These include the following. 

Travel expertise

If you’re planning a trip to a place you’ve never been before, a travel agent can provide you with some useful tips about the area such as the use of public transport or the quality of hospitality service. Travel agents will also have a better idea of the facilities in the area and about aspects such as social and cultural etiquette, which is especially useful for international travel.

Finding exclusive deals

In-person or online travel agencies often have access to special fares that are not always available to individual customers. They will also offer packages to corporate customers, the combined cost of which can sometimes end up being cheaper than if you were to book all aspects of the trip separately. 

Itinerary planning assistance 

Instead of you having to work out all the logistics surrounding your trip, travel agencies do that for you. Depending on your or your company’s requirements, travel agents will organise your flights, taxis, car rental and accommodation. In some cases, they can also help to book activities and meals, ensuring everything is taken care of. This aspect is particularly useful for larger groups of people who are travelling together. 

The drawbacks

As is the case with most things, there can be some drawbacks when you use a travel agency. These are largely due to the structure of their business models and the current agreements they have with airlines and hospitality businesses.

Limited to office hours

Travel agencies typically work according to standard office hours, which means they will only be available to answer any queries between 09:00 and 17:00. When you’re booking something yourself, you have the flexibility to make bookings and changes whenever is convenient for you.

They may advise based on their contracts and commission

Just because a travel agent suggests certain hotels or transport options, doesn't necessarily mean they have managed to find you the best deal. Many of the organisations that attach themselves to travel agencies set targets to ensure they meet sales projections and the required “feet through the door”.

Customers can incur large booking charges

When you opt to use a travel agency, there are often heft booking fees charged to you for using their services. It’s worth investigating whether or not you will still save money with any special fares when the booking charges are added to your final bill. Using a travel agency does not always save you money versus when you book everything by yourself.

Limited on options

Travel agencies have a portfolio of accommodation and activity options available to them. However, when you book a trip as an individual, you have more freedom to choose where you go and what you do, because you have all the travel options available to you. You’re also not limited to specific hotel chains or airlines associated with a given travel agency. 

There are sometimes hidden costs

Most travel agencies will do their best to take all aspects of your trip into account, however, there are some costs they may not include in the final bill such as visa charges or tourism charges. Although these are generally small amounts, hotels in some countries will only inform you of these charges once you have arrived. If you’re travelling with a large group of people this can become expensive and an unexpected cost is not what you want when you’ve put your faith in a travel agency. 

Why you should use a travel management company

If you’re not keen on using a travel agency because you want more control over your trip, you would consider using a travel management company. Management companies tend to take a far more collaborative approach when it comes to planning travel. Here are some of the benefits associated with using a travel management company. 

Collaborative booking process

A travel management company will take a look at the specific needs you’ve listed for your trip. They will make suggestions based on all the available options and ensure that flights, accommodations and activities align with what you have in mind. They will take your ideas on board and make informed suggestions based on what is available.

All requirements considered

There’s the perfect balance of your input and requirements combined with professional guidance. For example, if you know you need a boardroom or meeting rooms and areas to host larger groups of people, this is something that can be delivered by a travel management company. Trusted Stays is an example of a travel management company that takes all accommodation requirements into consideration to make sure professional travel needs are met. 

Improved organisation

The travel management company will be in charge of putting your itinerary together in a concise, comprehensible format that you can easily read and distribute to the rest of the people travelling with you. Their systems will give you an improved sense of organisation before you embark on your journey.